SCUGOG -- The next few years will feature plenty of change in Scugog as the township welcomes new water and sewage services and a new hotel resort -- all of which should help pad the municipality's coffers and ease the burden on taxpayers.

Mayor Chuck Mercier painted a bright near-future for his municipality on Feb. 7 when he headlined a Scugog Chamber of Commerce lunch meeting held at the Port Perry Villa.

"We remain a community of choice for people to live and visit," the mayor told a large crowd gathered for the chamber's annual Mayor's Luncheon.

By the end of 2013, Scugog should be "fairly near debt free," said Mayor Mercier, which elicited a loud round of applause. The Township's only debt, he explained, will be money it borrowed from itself in past years to finance projects such as the purchase of the Old Mill.

Durham has also earmarked about $30 million for a new source water system for Port Perry and an expansion and improvements at the Scugog sewage plant. The new water source should be online sometime in 2014, while the upgraded sewage plant should be operational in late 2014 or early 2015, said the mayor.

The expanded sewage services will allow the urban Port Perry area to grow, adding about 6,000 new residents in the coming years, said Mayor Mercier.

"That's good news for us to balance our tax base," said the mayor. "We need growth, we need a balance and it's well underway."

He also pointed to the new hotel and condo development that's been proposed for Scugog Island. The Marsh Forest project is in "the final stages" of winding its way through the bureaucratic system and should be a big boost to the local economy, said Mayor Mercier.

The proposal calls for an 80-room hotel and 150 fractional-ownership residential units.

On average, said the mayor, visitors to Scugog each spend about $74; those spending the night leave behind about $163 each day.

"Let's do the math," said Mayor Mercier. "We need sleepovers. Imagine the economic impact ... this will clearly help all of our businesses."

Scugog's agricultural sector is also thriving and Blackstock will soon be home to a state-of-the-art bio-gas plant, added Mayor Mercier.

Chris Hall is a reporter covering Scugog Township for Metroland Media Group’s Durham Region Division. He can be reached at
CHall@durhamregion.com
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